batch.motif.greek-odyssey-butler-gutenberg-l5422-l5511
---
record_id: batch.motif.greek-odyssey-butler-gutenberg-l5422-l5511
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
passage_locator:
label: BOOK XI / THE VISIT TO THE DEAD.88 / BOOK XII / THE SIRENS, SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS,
THE CATTLE OF THE SUN.; lines 5422-5511
start: '5422'
end: '5511'
translation: The Odyssey
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: Circe warns Ulysses that Scylla is invincible and advises rapid passage,
then warns him about the sun-god's sacred herds on Thrinacia. Ulysses sails on,
tells his crew about the Sirens, has the crew's ears stopped with wax, and is
bound to the mast so he can hear their song safely. After passing the Sirens,
the crew encounters a terrifying wave and roaring water, and Ulysses urges them
to row on and steer near the rock.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: The goddess tells Ulysses that Scylla is not mortal, is invincible, and should
be passed at full speed rather than fought.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The goddess says Scylla has six heads and may catch another half dozen men
if the ship lingers near her rock.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: The goddess advises Ulysses to call out to Crataiis, identified as Scylla's
mother, to stop Scylla from making a second attack.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:4
text: On Thrinacia there are seven herds of cattle and seven flocks of sheep belonging
to the sun-god, with fifty animals in each flock or herd.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: The sun-god's animals do not breed and do not diminish in number.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:6
text: Phaethusa and Lampetie, daughters of Hyperion by Neaera, tend the sun-god's
flocks and herds on Thrinacia.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:7
text: The goddess warns that if the crew leaves the flocks unharmed they may reach
Ithaca after hardship, but if they harm them their ship and comrades will be destroyed.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:8
text: After dawn appears, the goddess returns inland and Ulysses boards the ship,
where the crew loosens the moorings and rows out.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:9
text: Circe sends a favorable following wind that keeps the ship's sails filled.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:10
text: Ulysses tells the crew that Circe's prophecies should be known by all, so
they may live or die with open eyes.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:11
text: Ulysses reports that the Sirens sit and sing beautifully in a field of flowers,
and that he alone may hear them.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:12
text: Ulysses orders the crew to bind him upright to the mast and to bind him tighter
if he asks to be freed.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:13
text: When the ship reaches the Sirens' island, the wind ceases and the sea becomes
calm, so the crew rows.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:14
text: Ulysses cuts, kneads, and softens wax, then stops the ears of all his men
with it.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:15
text: The crew binds Ulysses hands and feet to the mast while continuing to row.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:16
text: The Sirens call to Ulysses by name and invite him to listen to their voices.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:17
text: The Sirens say that no one sails past without staying to hear them, and that
listeners depart charmed and wiser.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:18
text: The Sirens claim knowledge of the sufferings at Troy and of events over the
whole world.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:19
text: Ulysses longs to hear more and signals to be released, but the crew rows harder
and Eurylochus and Perimedes bind him more strongly until they are beyond hearing.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:20
text: After passing the Sirens' island, Ulysses sees a great wave with spray and
hears a loud roaring sound; the frightened crew lets go of the oars.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:21
text: Ulysses exhorts the men by recalling their escape from the Cyclops's cave
and orders the coxswain to steer away from the steaming rapids and hug the rock.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Ulysses
description: Leader of the ship's crew; receives Circe's warnings, instructs the
men, is bound to the mast, hears the Sirens, and exhorts the crew near the roaring
water.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:8
- ev:10
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Circe / the goddess
description: The goddess who warns Ulysses about Scylla, Thrinacia, the Sirens,
and aids the ship with a favorable wind.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Scylla
description: A non-mortal, savage, cruel, invincible being with six heads who threatens
the crew near her rock.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Crataiis
description: Scylla's mother, whom Ulysses is told to call upon to stop Scylla from
making a second raid.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: sun-god / Hyperion
description: Divine owner of the cattle and sheep on Thrinacia; identified as father
of Phaethusa and Lampetie by Neaera.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Phaethusa
description: Daughter of Hyperion by Neaera; tends the sun-god's flocks and herds
on Thrinacia.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Lampetie
description: Daughter of Hyperion by Neaera; tends the sun-god's flocks and herds
on Thrinacia.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Neaera
description: Mother of Phaethusa and Lampetie by Hyperion; sends them to Thrinacia
to tend their father's flocks and herds.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: Ulysses' men / comrades
description: Crew members who row the ship, have their ears stopped with wax, bind
Ulysses to the mast, and later become frightened by the roaring water.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: fig:10
name_or_label: the Sirens
description: Two singers on an island who call to Ulysses, offering sweet song and
knowledge.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:7
- id: fig:11
name_or_label: Eurylochus
description: One of the men who binds Ulysses with stronger bonds when he signals
to be released.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: fig:12
name_or_label: Perimedes
description: One of the men who binds Ulysses with stronger bonds when he signals
to be released.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: fig:13
name_or_label: coxswain
description: Crew member ordered by Ulysses to steer the ship away from the steaming
rapids and near the rock.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: fig:14
name_or_label: Jove
description: Divine figure whom Ulysses tells the men to trust while rowing through
danger.
role_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: fig:15
name_or_label: Cyclops
description: Past enemy recalled by Ulysses as having shut the men in his cave before
their escape.
role_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
roles:
- id: role:1
label: divine adviser and helper
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Circe gives navigational prophecies and sends a favorable wind.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: role:2
label: invincible monster at a dangerous passage
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Scylla is described as non-mortal, invincible, six-headed, and able to seize
men near her rock.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:3
label: maternal restrainer
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Crataiis is identified as Scylla's mother and may stop a second raid by Scylla.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:4
label: divine owner or guardian of sacred herds
assigned_to:
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:7
basis: The sun-god owns the herds, while Phaethusa and Lampetie tend them on Thrinacia.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: role:5
label: leader under prophetic instruction
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Ulysses receives prophecies, instructs his crew, orders precautions, and
commands the ship in danger.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:10
- id: role:6
label: crew and helpers
assigned_to:
- fig:9
- fig:11
- fig:12
- fig:13
basis: The men row, bind Ulysses, keep him from release, and steer under his orders.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:8
- ev:10
- id: role:7
label: dangerous singers offering knowledge
assigned_to:
- fig:10
basis: The Sirens sing beautifully and claim to make listeners wiser by their knowledge.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: role:8
label: mother who dispatches divine daughters
assigned_to:
- fig:8
basis: Neaera bears and suckles Phaethusa and Lampetie, then sends them to Thrinacia.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: Scylla's rock
literal_form: rock beside which Scylla may attack the ship
associated_figures:
- fig:3
- fig:1
- fig:9
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:2
label: sacred cattle and sheep of the sun-god
literal_form: seven herds of cattle and seven flocks of sheep, fifty in each, not
breeding and not diminishing
associated_figures:
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:7
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: sym:3
label: Thrinacian island
literal_form: island where the sun-god's herds and flocks are kept
associated_figures:
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:7
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:4
label: ship
literal_form: the vessel rowed by Ulysses' men through the sea dangers
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:9
- fig:13
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:6
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: sym:5
label: mast and bonds
literal_form: mast, crosspiece, ropes, and bonds used to restrain Ulysses while
he hears the Sirens
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:9
- fig:11
- fig:12
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:8
- id: sym:6
label: wax in the ears
literal_form: softened wax used to stop the crew's ears against the Sirens' song
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:9
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:8
- id: sym:7
label: Sirens' song
literal_form: musical voices that invite Ulysses to listen and promise charm and
knowledge
associated_figures:
- fig:10
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: sym:8
label: field of flowers
literal_form: place where the Sirens sit and sing
associated_figures:
- fig:10
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: sym:9
label: calm sea and roaring waters
literal_form: windless water near the Sirens followed by a great wave, spray, and
loud roaring waters
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:9
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:9
- id: sym:10
label: Cyclops's cave
literal_form: cave from which Ulysses recalls that his courage and counsel saved
the crew
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:9
- fig:15
taxonomy_refs:
- cave
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Warning about Scylla
summary: The goddess tells Ulysses that Scylla cannot be fought successfully and
that the ship must pass quickly while calling on Crataiis to prevent a second
attack.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Warning about the sun-god's herds
summary: The goddess describes the sun-god's undiminishing herds and flocks on Thrinacia
and warns that harming them will bring destruction of the ship and men.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:7
- fig:8
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:3
label: Departure with divine wind
summary: After dawn, Ulysses returns to the ship, the crew rows out, and Circe sends
a favorable wind that fills the sails.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:9
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: scene:4
label: Preparation for the Sirens
summary: Ulysses tells the crew about Circe's warning, orders them to bind him to
the mast, and prepares wax to stop their ears as they approach the Sirens' island.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:9
- fig:10
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
- sym:5
- sym:6
- sym:8
- sym:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: scene:5
label: The Sirens' song and restraint of Ulysses
summary: The Sirens invite Ulysses to listen and promise knowledge; Ulysses wants
to be freed, but the crew rows harder and binds him more tightly until the song
is out of hearing.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:9
- fig:10
- fig:11
- fig:12
symbol_refs:
- sym:5
- sym:6
- sym:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: scene:6
label: Roaring waters after the Sirens
summary: After passing the island, Ulysses sees a great wave and hears roaring water;
the crew panics, and Ulysses urges them on by recalling the Cyclops and giving
steering orders.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:9
- fig:13
- fig:14
- fig:15
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
- sym:9
- sym:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: Invincible monster at a perilous passage
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Scylla is explicitly described as non-mortal and invincible; the advised
strategy is not combat but swift passage past her rock.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
confidence: high
cautions: No available taxonomy reference directly names this passage-monster pattern.
- id: motif:2
label: Sacred animals under divine taboo
taxonomy_refs:
- divine_judgment
basis: The sun-god's herds and flocks are marked as divine property, tended by goddesses,
and harming them is said to cause destruction of ship and comrades.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: The passage gives the warning but does not yet narrate the actual violation
or punishment.
- id: motif:3
label: Forbidden or dangerous knowledge offered by enchanting singers
taxonomy_refs:
- forbidden_knowledge
- wisdom
basis: The Sirens' song promises charm and knowledge of Troy and the whole world,
but safe passage requires the crew not to hear it and Ulysses to be restrained
while hearing it.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:7
- ev:8
confidence: high
cautions: The knowledge is not explicitly called forbidden in the passage; the danger
is inferred from the precautions and prior warning.
- id: motif:4
label: Self-binding to withstand temptation
taxonomy_refs:
- initiation
basis: Ulysses arranges to be bound to the mast and orders tighter bonds if he asks
for release, allowing controlled exposure to the Sirens' song.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:8
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage does not explicitly frame the act as an initiation; the taxonomy
link is functional and should be reviewed.
- id: motif:5
label: Return endangered by successive sea trials
taxonomy_refs:
- return
basis: Circe says Ulysses may reach Ithaca after hardship if the herds are unharmed,
and the passage immediately continues with sequential maritime dangers.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:9
- ev:10
confidence: medium
cautions: The broader return motif depends on the larger Odyssey context, though
Ithaca and the voyage home are named here.
- id: motif:6
label: Heroic counsel preserves companions in danger
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: Ulysses explains prophecy to the crew, sets precautions against the Sirens,
and later rallies the frightened men with commands and recollection of an earlier
escape.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:8
- ev:10
confidence: medium
cautions: This is a broad wisdom/counsel pattern rather than a tightly named motif
in the available taxonomy.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: 5422-5432
quote_or_summary: The goddess says Scylla is not mortal but savage, cruel, and invincible;
she tells Ulysses to pass quickly, since Scylla's six heads may seize more men,
and to call on Crataiis, Scylla's mother.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: 5433-5443
quote_or_summary: On Thrinacia are seven herds of cattle and seven flocks of sheep
belonging to the sun-god, each with fifty animals, neither breeding nor diminishing;
Phaethusa and Lampetie, daughters of Hyperion by Neaera, tend them.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: 5444-5450
quote_or_summary: The goddess warns that if the flocks are left unharmed Ulysses
may reach Ithaca after hardship, but if harmed, the ship and comrades will be
destroyed and Ulysses will return late and in bad condition if he survives.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: 5451-5461
quote_or_summary: After dawn, the goddess returns inland; Ulysses boards, the crew
looses the ship and rows, and Circe sends a favorable following wind that fills
the sails.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: 5462-5474
quote_or_summary: Ulysses tells the men Circe's prophecies, including the warning
to avoid the Sirens who sing in a field of flowers; he says he alone may hear
them and orders himself bound upright to the mast, tighter if he asks release.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: 5475-5485
quote_or_summary: At the Sirens' island the wind falls calm; the crew rows, Ulysses
softens wax in the sun and stops the men's ears, and the men bind him hands and
feet to the mast while rowing onward.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
- id: ev:7
type: quote
locator: 5486-5493
quote_or_summary: The Sirens call Ulysses to listen, saying that whoever hears them
goes on 'not only charmed, but wiser,' and that they know the ills at Troy and
events over the whole world.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; short excerpt/summary.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: 5494-5499
quote_or_summary: Ulysses longs to hear more and signals for release; the crew rows
faster, and Eurylochus and Perimedes bind him more strongly until the Sirens are
out of hearing, then remove the wax and unbind him.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: 5500-5505
quote_or_summary: After the island, Ulysses sees a great wave with rising spray
and hears loud roaring; the frightened men release their oars, and the ship stops.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
- id: ev:10
type: summary
locator: 5506-5511
quote_or_summary: Ulysses exhorts the crew, recalling their escape from the Cyclops's
cave, tells them to trust Jove and row hard, and orders the coxswain to steer
away from steaming rapids and hug the rock.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: high
notes: Literal extraction is well supported by the supplied passage. Motif taxonomy
assignments are cautious where the available taxonomy lacks exact labels for Scylla
and the Sirens episode. No comparison claims were added because the passage itself
does not explicitly compare traditions or motif families.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
Used only the supplied passage and metadata; public-domain text summarized except for a brief Sirens phrase.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:greek-odyssey-butler-gutenberg__l5422-l5511
passage_sha256=b57cb51b3e9081e841ea9fa5fff96e286b51755d519ce8df6a126dcb821146ff